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Thursday, January 12, 2012

Noelle faces a new reality - and a blank past - when she wakes up from an accident without a memory. She is left trying to build her future, without letting her past tear her down.

In The Shadow of Your Smile, Susan May Warren examines the life and marriage of Noelle and Eli Hueston, and how secrets, pain and grief can tear down the very structure of a marriage.

I found this book a bit heavier than Warren's usual contemporary romance novels. At times it was down right sad. But I think ultimately, Warren has captured a side of marriage - and life - that normally doesn't find its way into the a novel.

Frankly, she has captured well, reality. She shows what goes into a marriage when the "for worst" pops up.

Yes it's a novel, and yes, there's a "happy ever after" ending. But ultimately, Warren portrays one key message when it comes to marriage - it must be built upon the love of Jesus.

On a scale of one to five, with five being the highest, I give it a three. It's not my favorite Warren book,(frankly, I like the humor in her PJ Sugar series) but it's a solid addition to the Deep Haven series. If you are wanting a novel that makes you think - or are ready for another visit ot Deep Haven, then this is the book for you.

More About The Book(From The Publisher)
A beautiful blanket of snow may cover the quaint town of Deep Haven each winter, but it can’t quite hide the wreckage of Noelle and Eli Hueston’s marriage.

After twenty-five years, they’re contemplating divorce . . . just as soon as their youngest son graduates from high school. But then an accident erases part of Noelle's memory. Though her other injuries are minor, she doesn’t remember Eli, their children, or the tragedy that has ripped their family apart. What’s more, Noelle is shocked that her life has turned out nothing like she dreamed it would. As she tries to regain her memory and slowly steps into her role as a wife and mother, Eli helps her readjust to daily life with sometimes-hilarious, sometimes-heartwarming results. But can she fall in love again with a man she can’t remember?

More About The AuthorSusan May Warren is an award-winning, best-selling author of over twenty-five novels, many of which have won the Inspirational Readers Choice Award, the ACFW Book of the Year award, the Rita Award, and have been Christy finalists. After serving as a missionary for eight years in Russia, Susan returned home to a small town on Minnesota’s beautiful Lake Superior shore where she, her four children, and her husband are active in their local church.

Susan's larger than life characters and layered plots have won her acclaim with readers and reviewers alike. A seasoned women’s events and retreats speaker, she’s a popular writing teacher at conferences around the nation and the author of the beginning writer’s workbook: From the Inside-Out: discover, create and publish the novel in you!. She is also the founder of www.MyBookTherapy.com, a story-crafting service that helps authors discover their voice.

Susan makes her home in northern Minnesota, where she is busy cheering on her two sons in football, and her daughter in local theater productions (and desperately missing her college-age son!)

It's A Contest
Come Back to Deep Haven and Win a $200 Visa Card from @SusanMayWarren!

Sometimes love requires a little forgetting ... Come back to Deep Haven and find out what's been happening in your favorite quaint hamlet. If you're new to the Deep Haven series - this is the perfect book to start with - each book in the series is a stand alone story.

A $200 Visa Gift Card(Use that to rekindle a little romance, treat yourself to a spa day, snap up those shoes you’ve been eyeing, or purchase a few great books!)

The entire set of Deep Haven Books

The winner will be announced on 1/30/12 on Susan’s blog, Scribbles! Just click one of the icons below to enter and tell your friends about Susan's giveaway on FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning.

Note: As a freelance journalist, I was provided a copy of this book by Litfuse Publicity Group. This review was not influenced by a free book - just in case you (or the FTC) were worried about this detail.

2 comments:

I have not read any of the Deep Haven books. I would like to read this novel. How shocking to start the next day and it is so far distant from "your day before" that you wonder who that woman is! You look at her, yet those are your thoughts. Amazing. And who are these people?! How confusing to those left behind that "she doesn't remember me."lanehillhouse[at]centurylink[dot]net